The Story of Princess Neva
by Azulastalker
Summary: Love. War. Hatred. Secrets. Treachery. A brief history of the events that lead to the building of the Golden Army. Nuada/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Gah! What am I doing? I've created another fanfiction? I only hope I can actually keep writing this one and not stop mid-way.**

Present Day

Prince Nuada turned to Nuala once again. He could feel death come closer to him. It was almost upon him. He knelt down in front of his dying sister as he crossed over and turned to stone. He shattered once he hit the floor, but Nuala stayed intact in the arms of her would-be lover.

Buried deep in Bethmoora, a human woman with long white hair and pale skin and lips laid in a glass coffin. The darkness of the curse that had seeped into the rest of Bethmoora from the Golden Army had finally reached her coffin and had cracked it. Now, with the royal twins dead, it cracked fully and the curse flooded into the coffin, turned the perfectly preserved corpse completely black and decaying, destroying the secrets of the body with it.

5 Years and 3 Months Before the Construction of the Golden Army

Princess Neva of the humans slowly wandered the castle, a book in hand. She had long black hair, pale skin, and bright red lips. A small silver tiara studded with rubies was on her head. She was looking for a place to quietly read, without the constant complaining of her brother, Galtero. He hated the elves and magical creatures as much as it was rumored Prince Nuada hated the humans. He wanted fighting and war and expansion of the humans more than anything else. Neva was content with what their father owned already and so was their father. Galtero was always a troublemaker though and wanted to show the magical creatures that humans were superior. And Prince Nuada was happy to fight back.

Princess Neva had just sat down on a bench shaded by a tree when she heard her father, King Lono, and brother arguing. Their voices were approaching her quiet spot.

"But, Father, the elves are slowly approaching the outer edges of our kingdom! They are preparing for an attack!" Prince Galtero's voice bounced off the castle walls.

"Perhaps the elves are at the edges of our kingdom because that is where their kingdom lies." King Lono brushed off his son's warnings.

"Our kingdom MUST expand! Our population is increasing by the day! Where will they live?" Galtero pointed out.

At this point, they had reached the outside of the castle, twenty feet from where Neva sat. She pretended to be engrossed in her book, but had given up reading a while ago. The arguments of her father and brother were always amusing.

"We will worry about that when the time comes." King Lono said as he sat down next to his daughter. He was an elderly man and one of the first rulers of the humans. He had greying hair and a beard he occasionally stroked when he thought. A golden crown encrusted with jewels was on his head. He let out a tired sigh as he sat down.

"But, Father-" Galtero began. He stood above his father. He had short black hair and pale skin similar to his sister's. He wore a small gold crown on his head studded with sapphires.

"Not now. Relax once in a while, Galtero. Like your sister here. She sits and reads all day, not concerned with what the elves are doing." King Lono closed his eyes and leaned back his head.

Galtero recognized the signs that the conversation was done, so he turned to Neva.

"Good morning, sister." A loving smile spread across his lips. "Have you had any suitors today?"

Neva looked up from her book gracefully.

"It's still early. I'm sure one will come later on in the day." She said softly, her voice like tiny bells.

"He will have to pass my inspection first to see if he is worth your time." Galtero said warningly. He protected his sister fiercely, one of the many reasons she sat and read all day instead of socializing with suitors or befriending ladies her age.

Neva said nothing at his comment and he didn't mind. He would rather listen to the sound of his own voice anyway. Their father snored beside Neva as she read.

"He will have to be of high status with a respectful nature. He must be a soldier in the army or very loyal to the crown. We will not have any men who love the elves living in this castle!" Galtero finished his rant.

"That's perfect!" King Lono suddenly shot up from his slumber. Neva turned from her book to her father.

"What is, Father?" Galtero asked, slightly scared at the answer.

"Neva needs a suitor of high status brave enough to face you and we need peace with the elves. A wedding arrangement between Neva and Prince Nuada will be made!" Lono slapped his knee as he said this.

"What?" Both Galtero and Neva shouted in surprise.

**Did you like it? This will be a short one, maybe five chapters maximum. Please give me feedback?**


	2. Chapter 2

"You can't be serious, Father! An elf! An elven prince at that!" Galtero shouted hatefully. King Lono held his hand up to silence his son.

"I will hear none of it. Your feelings do not affect the growth of our kingdom. This is what is best for the kingdom. I will go now and send word to King Balor." King Lono stood up shakily. Neva held his arm and helped him up. He crossed the gardens and re-entered the castle. Galtero stared after him on disbelief.

"Can you believe him, Neva?" He asked incredulously.

"You must give our father some faith. He is running the kingdom rather well." Neva chided him. Her voice was still soft and airy, despite the harshness the words carried. She turned back to her book.

Prince Galtero stood in shock, moving his arms in random patterns and opening and closing his mouth. Finally he muttered "crazies" and followed his father out of the gardens. Princess Neva turned a page in her book, knowing her father would never let the elven prince treat her unfairly and trusting his decision completely.

5 Years and 1 Month Before the Construction of the Golden Army

Princess Neva stood patiently next to her father and brother, waiting to meet the king and royal twins of Bethmoora. They had accepted her father's proposal and Prince Nuada and Neva were meeting for the first time. Prince Galtero shifted angrily and anxiously next to her. He didn't like this whole situation one bit. He didn't like the elves and magical creatures at all. Quite frankly, he despised them and he did NOT want his precious sister marrying the worst of them. He shifted his stance again and was elbowed in the lower ribs by Neva. He cast a glance at her, but she was still standing patiently.

Finally, the Bethmooran royals entered the entrance hall, flanked by their own guards. Princess Neva stared into each of their faces without fear and inwardly accepted her fate as a peace treaty between kingdoms. King Balor and Prince Nuada had emotionless faces while Princess Nuala had a slight charming smile. They stopped walking when the two royal families were no more than fifteen feet apart. The two princes glared hatefully at each other, both feeling the same way about the other. King Lono stepped forward.

"King Balor! What an honor it is to have you in our kingdom!" Lono said happily, his arms extended in welcome. King Balor stepped forward.

"The honor is all mine. Once I heard of your offer, I knew I had to accept. Such brilliance to end such violence." King Balor replied, a smile on his old face.

"The offer did not come directly from me. My son, Galtero, was talking about possible suitors for Neva and the war was on my mind. The two topics mixed to produce that idea." King Lono said modestly. Galtero scowled at being credited partially for the idea.

"Well either way, it was brilliant and shall be put into effect as soon as possible. Let us discuss it and let our children become better acquainted." King Balor said. He and Lono broke away from their families and walked into a different room of the castle, a few guards following them. The royal children all stared at each other silently until the door had been shut after them. Galtero clenched his fists as he stared at Nuada.

"Listen, elf, if you even think about hurting my sister-" Galtero began to threaten.

"Ignore my brother. He is bringing his feelings into a situation that does not call for them. I am Princess Neva." Neva interrupted. She curtsied to Nuada, her head dipping low.

"Your presence is a comfortable distraction from your brother's. I am Prince Nuada." He bowed to her. "And this is my sister Princess Nuala." He motioned to Nuala, who curtsied.

"Do not belong?! This is the leader of armies that have slaughtered our men!" Galtero raged again.

"Then save your anger for the battlefield. This marriage has been agreed to already. It will happen whether your throw a tantrum or not." Neva interrupted him again. Her voice never lost the softness as she chastised him. She turned to Nuada again. "I hope we can be on better terms than you and my brother."

"It would be harder to be on worse terms." Nuada said, staring at Galtero.

"I'll have a word with Prince Nuada alone, Neva. Show Princess Nuala our gardens, won't you?" Galtero said to Neva, not taking his eyes off of Nuada. Neva sighed slightly and motioned for Nuala to follow her. She knew her brother would not let the topic go unless she did as he said.

Once the princesses had left, Galtero turned his full attention to Nuada.

"I don't like this wedding idea at all. I don't want you marrying my sister any more than you would want me marrying yours. Know that this wedding will not change the way I feel about you and your kind. Step one foot out of line and this war will rage again, only worsened by revenge." Galtero warned.

"I understand your feelings exactly. I don't want to marry that human at all, but I will if it will stop the deaths of my people." Nuada sneered back. His response made Galtero even angrier.

"Human?! You speak of her as if she is not the most precious thing in the world! She is delicate and beautiful! She is my sister and I will protect her from any and all harm! If you will not do the same, we will see how long this idea of marriage lasts." Galtero spat angrily.

A tense silence passed over both of them. Both of them wanted the other and their kind dead.

In the gardens, Princess Neva and Princess Nuala also talked about the upcoming wedding.

"Do not be afraid of your marriage to my brother. I will keep him in line. He is not happy about this proposal at all, but I will make sure his feelings for humans are not reflected towards you. I will make sure your stay at Bethmoora is a pleasant one." Nuala reassured Neva.

"Thank you for that. It will ease my mind knowing that I will be as safe in Bethmoora as I am here." Neva told her. "I know that we will become the best of friends in the next several months."

After an hour or so of discussions between the kings, the Bethmooran royals left the palace for their own. Galtero was even more angry about the idea than he was before, Lono was excited to end the war, and Neva held no emotions on the subject. She would do as she was told for her kingdom.


	3. Chapter 3

5 Years and 29 Days Before the Construction of the Golden Army

"Father, please! Do not condemn Neva to this! Prince Nuada will rip her innocence away!" Prince Galtero argued. He was in his father's study. King Lono sat at the desk, listening to his son.

"That is traditionally what happens on wedding nights, Galtero." Lono teased slightly.

"She is fragile and innocent. Being married to him will destroy her." Galtero tried again.

"I think you are giving Neva less credit than she deserves. She is not at all bothered by the idea of this marriage. She is strong and will do this for her kingdom. Why must you stir up trouble on a matter that cannot be helped?" King Lono explained to his son.

Galtero angrily slammed his fist on the wood of the desk. He had lost this argument. He stormed out of the room and began pacing the corridor. He had to stop this wedding. He couldn't let his delicate sister be corrupted by marriage to Prince Nuada. He would rather die than let that happen. He began to think of a way, any way, to stop this wedding its tracks, but he didn't know how. He growled in anger and decided to sleep on it.

4 Years and 8 Months Before the Construction of the Golden Army

A hooded figure weaved its way around the magical creatures of the Troll Market. It flinched slightly whenever one would accidentally bump into it. The figure entered one shop, drawing back the curtains to enter. It was smoky in there and the smell told the figure that something was being brewed in an unseen room. A wrinkly old troll hag with a long nose and straw-like hair came out of the back room, smoke following her.

"May I help you?" The hag said in its native troll language.

"I hear you make sleeping potions." The hooded figure said in English. Its voice was masculine. It pulled its hood farther down its face to hide it better.

"I make the best. What do you need them to do? Sleep for eternity? Until true love's kiss? Never to awaken?" The hag switched to English as well.

"One that will keep the drinker asleep and they must only awaken under special circumstances." The figure replied. The hag smiled, showing off her rotten teeth.

"I have just the thing, but it is no potion." She walked over to a shelf and stepped up a ladder to reach something. She grabbed it and stepped off the ladder and over to her customer. It was a brown draw-string bag. She opened it and reached her hand inside, pulling out the most beautiful red apple. The figure took it delicately from her hand.

"Will it do what I asked? The person only wake under certain circumstances?" The figure asked.

"Yes, the only way to wake them up is to place a loving kiss on their lips." The hag explained.

"No one will think to do this? No one knows of this apple but you and me?" The figure asked.

"No one but you and me." The hag said with a happy twinkle in her eye.

"Then I shall take it." The figure put the apple back in the bag and stowed it under its cloak.

"Good. That will be 500,000 gold." The old hag turned around and started to hobble to the shop's counter.

"I'm sorry, I don't have enough." The figure said. It drew a sword from underneath its cloak.

"Well then you can't have-" The hag had begun to turn around and saw the sword. She didn't have enough time to yell before the figure cut her throat.

The force of the figure's slash had pushed their hood back. Black hair and a glimmer of gold was seen before the figure pulled their hood up again. They put the sword back in its sheath and walked out of the shop looking completely innocent.


	4. Chapter 4

4 Years and 5 Months Before the Construction of the Golden Army

It was the night before the wedding. Both royal families, along with most of their loyal subjects, were gathered in the dining hall of the Bethmoora castle for a pre-wedding celebration feast. After the feast, the bride and groom would be taken to separate rooms to rest.

The kitchen was crowded and servants were rushing around to prepare the feast. No one noticed the human prince place an apple in a bowl and leave.

Later in the dining hall, Prince Nuada and Princess Neva sat alone at a table slightly higher than the rest that looked over the other tables. An assortment of different food was placed all around the table and in reach of both of them. They barely talked to each other and instead talked to passing-by guests. Prince Galtero sat at a table not far away facing his sister. He was staring intently at a particular food.

Princess Neva was talking with Nuala when she noticed a bowl of fruit with the most delicious-looking apple in it. She reached over to the bowl and grabbed the apple. Galtero tensed in anticipation. Just when she was about to take a bite, Nuala asked her a question and Neva put the apple down on her plate to answer it. Galtero scowled in frustration.

Nuala, satisfied with the answer Neva gave, left her side and went to talk to her brother about being nice to Neva in the future. Neva laughed as Nuala lectured Nuada. A servant came to take Neva's almost-empty plate away and almost managed to take the apple away, when Neva turned, stopped them, and took the apple off of the plate. She laughed again at Nuala and Nuada as she moved the apple closer to her to take a bite. Galtero watched her closely. Neva was only milliseconds from taking a bite when Nuala commented how the apple was the same shade as Neva's lips. Neva brought the apple down, examined it, and agreed with Nuala. Then she took a bite.

The second Neva took that bite, the magic of the spell began to work. She dropped the apple and it rolled a few feet away from her. Her once-red lips turned as pale as her skin. Her black hair turned pure white from the roots to the tips. She began to fall off of her chair, but Galtero, who had waited the entire evening for this moment, rushed to her and caught her. He knelt on the floor holding her body. Neva's eyes were closed in her magic-infused sleep at this point, even her eyelashes had turned white.

"Neva!" Galtero shouted. The room went quiet as everyone turned to see what was wrong. "Neva! Wake up!"

"Oh god, Neva! Is she breathing? Is she alive!" Galtero shouted. He was playing his part of the concerned brother well. "What has done this to you, Neva!"

Nuala, with Nuada slightly behind her, knelt down next to Neva and Galtero.

"Stay away! I bet it was your Bethmooran magic that did this to her! You killed my sister!" Galtero forced tears out of his eyes.

King Lono and King Balor quickly rushed over to their children.

"What has happened?" Lono asked.

"I don't know. Everything was normal then Neva suddenly stopped and fell and all the color is gone from her!" Galtero lied.

"It was an apple. She bit into an apple-" Nuala began to explain.

"Lies! Nothing human-made could have done this to my sister! It must have been elven-made and you are lying to cover up your tracks!" Galtero interrupted her.

"You dare accuse Nuala of lying?" Nuada spat at Galtero.

"Well I suppose she would for you! I bet you did this to Neva! Your hatred for humans is well-known!" Galtero spat back.

"Now, Galtero-" Kingo Lono began.

"Father, you know whatever has happened to Neva is Bethmoora-made! Nothing from humans could do this to her! They have killed our princess and my sister! The treaty must be no more!" Galtero reasoned.

Lono stared at his son, knowing that he was right. He turned to King Balor.

"He is right. Someone in your kingdom did this to my daughter. And you must all pay." King Lono said slowly with a sad, hesitant face.

King Balor and his children all had shocked looks on their faces as Lono and Galtero, carrying Neva, walked out followed by their subjects.


	5. Chapter 5

The entire human kingdom mourned the loss of Princess Neva. Nuala tried to stop the approaching war by offering to keep Neva in a glass coffin where she will be perfectly preserved for the years to come and will not age or wilt in the slightest. Galtero was hesitant to accept, but Lono pushed him and it was eventually accepted. Neva was kept in Bethmoora because that was where this coffin was constructed and it was rooted to the ground to absorb the nearby magic to protect Neva's body.

Once this was done, Galtero happily led the humans into battle with Bethmoora and Nuada gladly fought back with Bethmoora's army. Galtero used Neva's "death" as a reason to fight the magical creatures that he hated so much. None of the humans objected, not even King Lono. There was almost four and a half years of bloodshed before Prince Nuada convinced his father to build the Golden Army. This Golden Army killed Prince Galtero and with him the real drive behind the wars. King Lono happily accepted King Balor's peace agreement with the pieces of the crown of the Army. Yet the humans thought that the magical creatures were responsible for innocent Neva's death, and they still resented them, so the peace did not last as long as Balor wanted it to. The humans gradually began to push the magical beings into a smaller and smaller space before they were finally forced underground, taking Neva's body with them.

Present Day

Princess Neva's body was destroyed completely by the curse and the area that once held her body looked just like the other areas around it, dead and desolate. Her spirit finally joined her family and even the Bethmooran royals. She smiled with Nuala and yelled at Galtero. She felt free finally and was even somewhat happy that she was dead now. No one would have saved her now anyway.

**Okay, so I somewhat lied about the Nuada/OC. They were engaged, but there was no real chemistry between them, so I apologize to you if that was the only reason you read this. I know that this is similar to Snow White with the apple and the kiss, but we can just pretend that Snow White was based off of this story and told by the humans, can't we? And one last thing, I wanted to point out something special about the names:**

**Neva means Snow**

**Galtero means War**

**Lono means Peace**

**I hope you enjoyed my short little fanfiction!**


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